Thursday, March 27, 2014

March 28, 2014

How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:9-11

Being pure is difficult for those of us who are morally and spiritually impure by nature.

First, it takes a decision to live according to the wisdom and truth of God's Word.

Also, it takes a desire to live pure. Verse 10 says – I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.”

A young man came to a priest and asked him, "How can I find a faith that is real and meaningful?"

"Come with me," replied the priest.

The young seeker followed him until they came to the bank of the river.

"Follow me into the river", said the priest as he waded into the water.

When they were both about waist deep the priest grabbed the young man by the shoulders and forced his head under the water. He held his head under the water as the young man fought to come up for air. The struggle continued for nearly a minute until the priest released the young man and he came up gasping for air.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy?" protested the young man.

"No," said the priest calmly. "I was simply answering your question."

"You almost drowned me! How is that an answer?"

"Young man, when you want to seek God and desperately as you wanted to get air, you will find Him in a real and satisfying way!"

The priest made the point that desire for God leads to discovery in God.

Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled."

You will never find spiritual purity under you have a sincere desire for it.

In the forests of northern Europe and Asia lives little animal called the ermine, known for his snow-white fur in winter. He instinctively protects his white coat against anything that would soil it.
Fur hunters take advantage of this unusual trait of the ermine. They don't set a snare to catch him, but instead they find his home, which is usually a cleft in a rock or a hollow in an old tree. They smear the entrance and interior with grime. Then the hunters set their dogs loose to find and chase the ermine. The frightened animal flees toward home but doesn't enter because of the filth. Rather than soil his white coat, he is trapped by the dogs and captured while preserving his purity. For the ermine, purity is more precious than life. 
Do you desire purity more than life?